If I use the activated ability of Sunforger and cast Ajani's Presence can I choose as many targets as I like without paying the extra mana?
Negative. Choosing additional targets with Strive invokes an additional mana cost. This is like fetching a card with Kicker or Replicate - you are free to use the additional cost/effect, but you must actually pay that cost to get that effect.
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I know how additional costs work with Sunforger, but the way Strive is worded seems to fall under different rules.
From the Comp. Rules
117.8e Some effects increase the cost to cast a spell or activate an ability without using the word "additional." Those are not additional costs, and are not considered until determining the total cost of a spell or ability as described in rule 601.2e.
I know how additional costs work with Sunforger, but the way Strive is worded seems to fall under different rules.
From the Comp. Rules
117.8e Some effects increase the cost to cast a spell or activate an ability without using the word "additional." Those are not additional costs, and are not considered until determining the total cost of a spell or ability as described in rule 601.2e.
You're misinterpreting the application of this rule to this interaction. Strive doesn't represent an "additional cost", but it still increases the cost to cast the spell. Cost increases aren't part of the mana cost of a spell (the symbols in its top-right corner, which you don't have to pay when you cast the spell using Sunforger) and are applied to alternative costs ("without payings its mana cost" is an alternative cost).
117.9d If an alternative cost is being paid to cast a spell, any additional costs, cost increases, and cost reductions that affect that spell are applied to that alternative cost. (See rule 601.2e.)
601.2e The player determines the total cost of the spell. Usually this is just the mana cost. Some spells have additional or alternative costs. Some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay, or may provide other alternative costs. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana cost or alternative cost (as determined in rule 601.2b), plus all additional costs and cost increases, and minus all cost reductions. If the mana component of the total cost is reduced to nothing by cost reduction effects, it is considered to be {0}. It can’t be reduced to less than {0}. Once the total cost is determined, any effects that directly affect the total cost are applied. Then the resulting total cost becomes "locked in." If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect.
The "mana cost" of a spell is the sum of the symbols in the upper-right corner of the card (including the currently chosen value of X, if applicable). If an effect tells you to cast a spell "without paying its mana cost" then that's the only part of the cost you get for free. Additional costs and cost-increasing effects still have to be paid for.
What if I copy a spell with the strive mechanic with out casting it? I.E. Twincast? Would I be able to choose any number of targets for the copy without paying the additional mana?
What if I copy a spell with the strive mechanic with out casting it? I.E. Twincast? Would I be able to choose any number of targets for the copy without paying the additional mana?
You would get an exact copy of the spell you cast, which includes all of the decisions made for that original spell. The copy will have the exact same number of targets (the copy also targets all the same targets as the original spell, but the instructions of Twincast and similar spells usually allow you to choose new targets for the spell if you want). You wouldn't need to pay any more additonal costs, because when you twincast a spell, you are simply creating a copy of the spell, not casting it.
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Negative. Choosing additional targets with Strive invokes an additional mana cost. This is like fetching a card with Kicker or Replicate - you are free to use the additional cost/effect, but you must actually pay that cost to get that effect.
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Strive says "cost X more to cast", so even if you're starting at 0, extra targets will be taxed.
If someone else can confirm with a more rules-specific answer that'd be swell though.
From the Comp. Rules
You're misinterpreting the application of this rule to this interaction. Strive doesn't represent an "additional cost", but it still increases the cost to cast the spell. Cost increases aren't part of the mana cost of a spell (the symbols in its top-right corner, which you don't have to pay when you cast the spell using Sunforger) and are applied to alternative costs ("without payings its mana cost" is an alternative cost).
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You would get an exact copy of the spell you cast, which includes all of the decisions made for that original spell. The copy will have the exact same number of targets (the copy also targets all the same targets as the original spell, but the instructions of Twincast and similar spells usually allow you to choose new targets for the spell if you want). You wouldn't need to pay any more additonal costs, because when you twincast a spell, you are simply creating a copy of the spell, not casting it.